1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to backing up vital data and more particularly relates to backing up vital product data to a service center.
2. Description of the Related Art
The operation of a data processing device such as a computer, a computer network, a data storage device and the like is regulated by configuration data and operational parameters, referred to herein as vital product data (“VPD”). The VPD is essential to proper operation of the data processing device, regulating internal functions, and interactions with associated devices. For example, VPD may be physical parameters in an automated data storage library, specifying logical associations or fiducial coordinates that are unique to each library. The VPD may also be the IP address of a web server, or a partitioning scheme unique to a storage device. The VPD is typically critical to the proper operation of the data processing device, but often comprises a small amount of data.
To protect the VPD from accidental loss or corruption, the VPD is regularly backed up. For example, the customer or owner of the data processing device may back up an the VPD to a hard disk, magnetic tape, or other storage medium as is known to those of skill in the art. Unfortunately, manual operations such as this are often overlooked, resulting in a down-level backup or no backup at all. In addition, VPD comprises data required for the proper operation of the system, and the customer or owner of the system may not have the wherewithal to correctly perform a backup of the VPD, or to correctly identify that a restore is needed, or to correctly perform the restore operation once needed. In another example of backing up the VPD, the VPD may be copied to another component of the system.
Unfortunately, because both the VPD and the VPD backup copy are often co-located within the same device or physical location, both the VPD and the VPD backup copy may be lost. For example, if a single storage device were to store both the VPD and the VPD backup copy, the loss of the storage device would preclude restoration of the VPD. Alternatively, a corrupted VPD may be copied to the VPD backup copy, resulting in two corrupted instances of the VPD. The VPD and VPD backup copy may also both be lost or corrupted through human error.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an apparatus, system, and method that backs up VPD to an easily accessible remote site to protect against the loss of the VPD and the VPD backup copy. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would regularly preserve one or more VPD copies in an off-site location.